Summer is a quiet time on campus at Vol State. We have summer classes and programs. We even have some kids visiting for summer camps. But there are a number of offices working full speed to get things ready for the fall. The Admissions Office is busy processing applications and helping students who are getting ready for college. Advising has been seeing a steady stream of students who need advice on what classes to take and how to register. Still, it's much better to come visit those folks now rather than wait until August. You'll have more time with staff and faculty here on campus simply because things are less hectic then they will be in Mid-August.

The Academic Affairs folks are the ones who put together the classes and work with the faculty. They're busy finalizing schedules for the coming year and lining up new programs, like our new Full Time Friday class schedule (see the posting below). We hope to have more exciting options to announce soon.

In the meantime, if you have some time, come visit and we can give you a tour of campus and introduce you to what we have to offer. There's no time like the present.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Gas prices are putting the pinch on everyone, but for college students it’s particularly tough. Volunteer State Community college is responding with a new set of classes this fall to help students save money and fit college into their busy lives. It’s called Full Time Friday. It’s a group of general education courses especially designed to take place on Fridays. Highly motivated students could take up to four classes, once a week and all in one long class day. With the hybrid online version of Full Time Friday students would only have to come to campus once a month.

“The gas crunch affects everybody across the board,” said Jana Allen, Interim Dean of Math and Science. “It’s a tremendous burden on students. We’re just trying to help any way we can.”

The general education classes offered under Full Time Friday are the building blocks for a University Studies degree in Humanities, the most popular program at Vol State. Full Time Friday will add more classes in upcoming semesters. Because the classes offered are general education they also apply as the foundation to many other programs on campus including: Allied Health, Business, Social Science and Education, and Math and Science.

The new class schedule isn’t just for full time students. Any of the Friday classes are available to all students who can benefit from the once a week format.

“We hope this can help the working adult student and stay at home moms,” said Phyllis Foley, Dean of Social Science and Education. “We may even have some traditional students who want to take advantage of this.”

The one day a week concept came about for practicality. The college has more classroom space available on Fridays and many businesses are shifting to a four day a week schedule. Daycare is an expensive part of education for parents. The one day a week traditional classroom format, or one day a month online hybrid format, can help parents cut child care costs while still attending school full time.

The Full Time Friday class schedule will be intense. For a student taking four classes those courses would start at 8 a.m. and not finish until after 9 p.m. Some of the classes this fall include College Algebra, English Composition I, Survey of American History, Fundamentals of Speech Communication and General Psychology.

“This isn’t for everybody,” said Dean Foley. “This is for hard working students who can handle a long day of learning and are self-motivated.”

Vol State also offers many courses in a Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday format, which is another way for students to save gas money while still taking a full time load. Full Time Friday is so new it’s not currently listed in the college schedule; however the website does have a special listing with all of the Full Time Friday classes. Visit www.volstate.edu/Friday for more information. Students can get one-on-one help by calling the Office of Admissions at 615-230-3688 or by visiting in person at the Ramer Building on the Vol State campus.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

We had a rocking good time at Registration Rocks yesterday. Lincoln County Fusion boogied through two hot sets and rock heros of the wanna-be variety battled it out in a Guitar Hero Three video game contest. Expert level winner was Adam Sprouse. Hard level winner was Bobby Tams and Medium level winner was Anthony Butera.

It was a nice sunny start to Fall Registration. If you're looking to get registered for fall classes or even considering college for the first time it will certainly be more laid back for the next few weeks on campus...but you did miss a great party! Remember Fall Registration is now open to everyone.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Education is more than just books and classrooms. The International study program at Vol State helps students experience the world. A recent faculty organized trip to Spain and France included Vol State students who received scholarships to help cover the expense of the trip. Here is a blog by faculty member Kay Grossberg about the trip:

We arrived in Paris, France on May 14, tired but ready to explore Europe. We first visited Giverny, France, home and gardens of Monet, leader of the Impressionist painting movement.

Next we traveled to Tours, a beautiful historic city. Lots of university students were around because European college classes don’t end until mid-June. Like in a fairy tale book, the Loire valley of France was green and filled with castles and wineries.

Highlights of France—Amboise castle and the cathedral of Chartres, France, for their history, size and details, especially the stained glass windows of Chartres. All of Paris, which is a vibrant city full of surprises. Aimée singing opera in the Paris metro. Of course, French foods and wines—crêpes, sauces, snails (only some of us liked this dish!), French pastries, croissants, café au lait, more. Eating in France was a daily delight.

In Paris we visited the Louvre museum and saw the famous “Mona Lisa.” We found out there was only one painting by a woman in the Louvre since women historically could not become painters. Women sure have come a long way! We explored the Museum of Orsay, a restored 19th century train station filled with Impressionist works—Renoir, Degas, Manet, and Van Gogh, for example. One night we took a boat ride on the Seine River and watched the Eiffel Tower light up like an ornament.

Then on to Spain via the night train and sleeper coaches. We were four in a room on the train—cozy, but memorable!

What can we say about Spain? It is so lovely, and people there seemed so relaxed and full of joy. We visited the Dali museum and the Costa del Sol (Spanish coast by the Mediterranean Sea) before moving on to our final destination Barcelona. We strolled the streets and markets and visited the Picasso museum, along with the cathedral and works of world-renowned architect Gaudi. And we loved Spanish foods—tapas style, where everyone gets to taste small portions. We drank sangria and ate paella, yum! We noticed that dinner in Spain starts about 9:00 p.m., and people eat and talk in restaurants until long after midnight.

Everywhere we went people were gracious and kind (only one man screamed at us on the subway—but that’s another story). Travel made us realize that people everyone are more alike than different.

No complaining about gasoline prices from us when we returned. Gasoline in Europe costs approximately $8.00 per gallon! Europeans walk more, take public transportation, drive smaller cars, and live in the city to conserve gasoline.

We had a wonderful and life-changing trip. “Learn to travel and travel to learn” is our motto. Students--there are many travel opportunities out there for you during your college career, so take advantage. You will be glad you did.